Into the Fire
by Southern Steel
Summary: Merlin saw her eyes flame a deep crimson and his body seemed to grow heavy. He tried to fight back, but he was to late. His eyes closed and he felt himself begin to fall, but he never felt himself hit the ground.
1. Chapter 1

**Category: Gen (Canon)  
Characters/Parings: Merlin, Arthur. No pairings.  
Rating/Warnings: T. Merlin whump, descriptive.  
Setting: Between series 2 and 3  
Author's note: This was written for the Christmas exchange on Heart of Camelot where they wanted a Merlin whump story where Merlin is the one being tortured, not Arthur, and has to decide between revealing himself or keeping his magic secret and suffering. :) **

**Disclaimer: Merlin does not belong to me, however the bandits do. :P**

* * *

_Out of the Fire_

Chapter 1: 

"This is all your fault, Merlin!" Arthur shouted, panting heavily as he ran for all he was worth.

"How...is it my...fault?" Merlin panted, glancing over at the King.

Arthur started to reply, but an arrow whistling by his head stopped him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the bandits slowly drawing closer. Turning back around, he sprinted as fast as he could, Merlin right beside him. Neither were sure how long they had been running; all they knew was that at least two dozen bandits were slowly gaining on them.

The prince looked around, scanning the ground ahead of them with a practiced eye. There was nothing before them but thin woods with trees spread out, creating open spaces below. Arthur bit back a curse as he stumbled over a tree root, his ankle twisting slightly. Despite the pain, he kept running, ignoring it to the best of his ability.

"Over there!" Merlin exclaimed, motioning to his left.

Arthur looked to the left and saw, partially hidden in the dark of the forest, a large pile of rocks. No other words were needed as the two turned, heading straight toward the rocks. Behind them they could hear the bandits stumbling in their pursuit. They had just a hundred yards to the rocks when the ground seemed to open up beneath them.

Merlin fell first, reaching up and shouting as he clawed at the ground. Arthur managed to leap to the side, landing hard with legs dangling over the hole. He reached out, managing to grab a tree root. The ground crumbled around him and he tightened his grip on the root. Beside him he saw Merlin slipping, his grip on the ground loosening. Arthur reached out quickly, grabbing Merlin's arm just as the ground gave way.

"Th...thanks." Merlin panted, grasping Arthur's wrist tightly with both hands.

"I swear, Merlin," Arthur grunted, tightening his grip on the tree root. "One of these days I'm going to just quit saving you."

"Unconsiderate prat." Merlin muttered, looking down.

"What did you say?" Arthur asked.

"Nothing." Merlin said quickly. "What do we do now?"

Arthur was about answer when he was cut off as something tightened around his other wrist and began pulling him up. Hands grabbed onto him as they lifted him over the edge of the hole. He felt Merlin's hand slip from his as he was jerked to his feet, hands clasping around his arms to hold him in place.

Automatically he started struggling, jerking his arms forward and kicking backwards in an attempt to shake his captors. He brought his elbow back, landing a lucky blow into one man's sternum. The man gasped, his grip loosening just enough for Arthur to break free. With his one free arm, he spun and punched his other captor in the nose, wrenching his other arm free. He moved quickly, reaching around and grabbing the sword from the man's waist.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A smooth voice warned.

Arthur turned toward the voice, sword held up, ready to be used. He froze when he saw Merlin on his knees, a dagger at his throat. Merlin's neck was stretched back, his breathing shallow as he tried not to move for fear of the blade cutting into his throat. Arthur looked up from his manservant and his mouth fell open in shock as he saw a woman holding Merlin hostage.

She was small, probably only about five foot three. Her black hair was long, seperated into two braids that were then braided together and left hanging down her back. She wore a too-large green shirt that hung to the middle of her thighes; a sword hung at her waist along with two dagger sheaths. Perhaps the most unsettling, however, were her eyes. They were black, pure black.

"Put the sword down," she said, the smallest hint of a smirk crossing her lips. "Or your friend here dies."

"He's not my friend." Arthur denied, refusing to look at the hurt look on Merlin's face.

The woman simply shrugged uncaringly and met Arthur's eyes. A small grin broke across her face, a cruel grin that didn't reach her eyes.

"In that case we have no need for him." She didn't look down as her hand moved across, ready to draw the knife across Merlin's neck.

"No!" Arthur exclaimed, stepping forward. He dropped the sword, tossing it away, and brought his hands up to his shoulders, showing them to be empty. "He has nothing to do with this, let him go."

"Arthur..." Merlin began to say, but his head was jerked back as the knife ever so slightly cut into his skin. A thin stream of blood seeped out and down his neck.

"I don't think so, Arthur Pendragon." The woman's voice was smooth as silk, the dangerous tone carefully concealed. "You have just failed rule number one: never show a weakness to an enemy." She gave a soft, emotionless laugh. "No, I believe your friend will be coming with us. Restrain him."

The two bandits were on him quickly, wrenching his arms behind him and fastening them tightly with rope. Arthur struggled slightly, but the sight of Merlin on his knees, neck trickling blood with the dagger still at his throat prevented him from struggling as hard as he normally would.

The woman kept her knife at Merlin's throat, her eyes never leaving Arthur's. Once Arthur was securly tied, she removed her knife, wiping the blood off on her black pants. She nodded and two more bandits came forward and wrenched Merlin to his feet, tying his hands behind his back as well. Merlin struggled to free himself, but a swift slap to the face ceased those efforts.

"What do you want with us?" Arthur asked, glaring at their captors.

"I would think that would be an easy question," the woman laughed, a cold, emotionless laugh. "Ransom of course. And..." she broke off, licking her lips, her black eyes flickering between Merlin and Arthur before resting on Arthur. "Some personal pleasure."

Merlin and Arthur glanced at each other, neither liking how that sounded. Arthur looked back to the woman and took a breath, suddenly nervous of where this was going.

"Let us go now and I can promise you," he tried, "You will not be harmed and will recieve a fair trial. Release us now and your punishment will not be hard."

Laughter sounded from all around as the bandits began cackling like a bunch of hyenas. Only the woman remained silent, though she allowed herself a humorless grin. The laughter continued for a few moments, before she held her hand up and the bandits ceased laughter immediatly, returning back to seriousness.

"You are an amusing man, Arthur Pendragon." she said, the smile fading and a look of cold hatred forming. "And an arrogant one. Why should we surrender to you and face execution when you are our captive?"

Arthur opened his mouth, but shut it as he realized he couldn't argue with that logic. The woman grinned in triumph and stepped toward the king. Arthur stiffened as she drew close, but refused to move. He stared down at her and her grin turned to a frown. She brought her hand up and gently touched Arthur's cheek. Her hand was cold as ice and Arthur was reminded of a dead person's hand.

"You are indeed brave, little prince." she mused, cupping his chin and studying his face intently. "And strong. Strong of body and of mind. We shall see how long you last when we begin."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Arthur asked, grateful as she removed her hand.

"You shall see." the woman replied mysteriously. "Cysgu."

Her eyes glowed a deep blood-red and Arthur's eyes barely had time to widen in shock before he was falling, eyes closed. He fell to the ground, completly limp, and the woman sneered at his sleeping body, kicking him once before turning to Merlin who was fighting against his captors, trying to get to Arthur.

"Now, now Merlin." the woman tisked, "You should be more careful. We wouldn't want you to get hurt now would we?"

"What did you do to him?" Merlin asked, glancing at Arthur's still form.

"A simple sleeping spell." the woman shrugged. "No harm has come to him, I assure you."

"Who are you?" Merlin asked, eyes narrowed as he studied the woman. "What do you want with us?"

Their was something about her, something not quite right. His magic swirled within him, reacting negativly to her presence. He had never felt anything quite like it before. There was darkness in her, that he was sure of, but her magic felt like nothing like the other sorcerers he had encounter over the years. And then there was her eyes, black as night and deep as a never ending pit. Their was something manical, something satanic in her eyes, but Merlin wasn't sure how he knew that.

"I am called Diedre." The woman answered. "I already told your friend what we want."

"But there's something more, isn't there." Merlin pressed, not quite sure how he knew that to be true.

"My, my, my. Aren't you the clever one." The grin was back and Merlin took a deep breath, refusing to allow her to see how she was unsettling him. "Of course we have another agenda, but why should I tell you? After all, you will find out soon enough."

She stepped toward him until there was just an arm's length between them. She looked at him, her eyes seeming to search deep into his very soul. Merlin swallowed nervously, resisting the urge to use his magic to free himself. Their was something wrong with this woman, he knew that, and the less she knew about him the better he would be.

"What are you hiding, Merlin?" Dierdre asked, voice pratically a whisper.

"Nothing." Merlin answered, his face as blank as he could make it.

"There is something about you," she murmered. She reached out and placed her hand on Merlin's cheek. "Something different."

Merlin felt his whole body freeze as she gently ran her hand over his face. Her hands were like those of a dead man's. They were cold, so cold that they chilled him to the bone. His magic fought to be released, to remove the hand from him, but he fought back. A sigh of relief escaped him as she finally removed her hand.

"There will be time to discover your secret later." she commented. "But for now, cysgu."

Merlin saw her eyes flame a deep crimson and his body seemed to grow heavy. He tried to fight back, but he was to late. His eyes closed and he felt himself begin to fall, but he never felt himself hit the ground.

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**Spell Translations**

_**Note, Dierdre's spells are all in Welsh while Merlin's will remain in Old English as per the show. (Welsh translations taken from **__**If any translations are wrong, I aplogize, other languages are not my strong point at all and I am severally limited.) **_

_Cysgu-To sleep_

_Diedre- Welsh spelling of "Deirdre" meaning sorrow_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, but I do own Diedre and Endrich. **_

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_Chapter 2_

Merlin wasn't sure what woke him up first: the pounding in his head or the pain in his arms. Groaning, his eyes blinked open, revealing a semi-fuzzy dark room. Merlin blinked once more and went to rub his eyes with his hand, but something held his hand back. His hands, he realized, were chained above him, his arms stretched painfully.

The room had cleared and Merlin now saw that it was small room, with the only light coming from a small crack under the door. Other then that one small light, the room was dark, leaving Merlin unable to see any further then a foot. He moved slightly, straightning himself so that he wasn't putting any undo pressure on his bound arms.

Merlin jumped slightly as something moved behind him. Chains clinked together as the person behind him moved, as if trying to make himself comfortable.

"Are you awake _yet_ Merlin?" Arthur's voice rang out and Merlin sighed in relief.

"If I say I'm not will you quit all that moving around?" Merlin replied.

Arthur stopped moving.

"About time." Arthur grunted. "Where do you think we are?"

"A cell." Merlin answered, only to be rewarded by Arthur kicking him in the back of the leg. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For being an idiot." Arthur replied, grinning in the darkness.

Merlin started to make a retort, but was cut off by the opening of the door, letting light flood into the room. Both men had to close their eyes, the sudden light to bright for them. Four pairs of footsteps came into the room, bringing torches with them. After a few moments, they were able to open their eyes without being blinded and saw that the black-eyed woman had entered, flanked by three large bodyguards.

"Ah good," the woman, Deidre, said with a smirk. "You're awake. Now we may begin."

"Begin what?" Arthur asked, straining his head to look around at the woman over his and Merlin's shoulders.

The woman didn't answer. She motioned lazily with her hand and the three guards moved instantly. Two grasped Arthur's arms tightly while the third reached up with a key and unlocked the chains holding the prince. As soon as he was free, the two holding his arms dragged a struggling Arthur over toward the woman, leaving Merlin hanging alone.

The two holding Arthur threw him to the ground before Diedre. The prince started to stand, but two rough hands on his shoulders kept him kneeling before his captor. She looked down at him, her black eyes studying him. Arthur glared up at her, wishing looks could kill.

"Tell me, little prince," Deidre began, her face void of all emotions. "What is the chance of you telling me all I wish to know without a fight?"

"None." Arthur growled.

"I thought as much." She shrugged. "I am glad you are stubborn, Arthur Pendragon. If you were not, I might not be able to have my pleasure."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Arthur asked, ceasing his struggles temporarily.

"Endrich." The woman said, ignoring Arthur. "Show the prince here what will happen should he not give us the answers we seek."

"With pleasure, my lady." Endrich, the biggest of the three bodyguards, replied, a grin crossing his face and revealing yellowed and missing teeth.

Arthur straightened as much as he could, expecting a blow. To his surprise, Endrich didn't come for him. Instead, the big man turned toward Merlin, who's eyes had widened as he caught onto what was happening.

The two men holding Arthur picked him up and turned him around. Arthur felt his breath catch in his throat as Endrich rolled his sleeves up and stretched his arms in front of him, slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. Then, his fist shot out, catching Merlin in the stomach and doubling him over. Three more blows followed after, each to the same spot. Merlin bit his lip, trying not to let a sound escape, but he groaned in pain regardless.

"Stop!" Arthur exclaimed, eyes wide as Merlin recieved two more blows, these further to the side.

"This is just a simple exampe, little prince." Diedre stated calmly. "Should you not give us what we want, your friend will suffer."

An involuntary yelp came from Merlin as Endrich hit him on the ribs, a resounding "crack" hurting Arthur's ears. Merlin's eyes were clenched shut and he bit his lip, stubbornly keeping all the pain inside. Endrich glanced back at Deidre, who gave a small nod. Endrich nodded back and turned back toward Merlin. He sent one last punch, this time to Merlin's face. Merlin's head snapped to the side, blood trickling from a newly split lip.

Endrich walked back, rolling his sleeves down with a satisfied look on his face. Merlin hung there, weight on his arms, with his head bowed low and his eyes closed against the pain. Diedre turned to Arthur and met his furious gaze with ease.

"Now, little prince," she said, stepping toward him. "It is your turn. Every castle must have a weakness. Tell me, what is Camelot's?"

Arthur shook his head, glaring daggers.

"There are none. Camelot is inpenatrable."

"No castle is inpenatrable." Diedre snapped, grabbing Arthur's chin tightly. Her black eyes narrowed and Arthur felt a chill go down him, her hands cold as ice. "Now tell me! Where is Camelot vunerable?"

Arthur jerked his head out of her grasp and held it high, meeting her gaze coldly. He said nothing, refusing to betray Camelot. Deidre sneered, her pretty face twisting into ugliness.

"Very well then." A small, cruel grin spread across her face as she backed away from Arthur. She looked at her three guards. "Hold him. Remember, not to many bruises. We wouldn't want dear old Uther not to pay us the ransom simply because his son is a little bruised, now would we?"

Merlin had finally looked back up, a pained expression in his eyes. He watched Deiddre walk toward him warily. Something in him was telling him this was not going to be bad-even worse then the beating-but he couldn't see what he could do. Had Arthur not been in teh room, he could have used his magic to escape, but he couldn't run the risk of exposing his magic. He swallowed nervously, watching her closely, ucnertainly.

She walked up to him, grin still on her face. In her black eyes, Merlin could see something, a sort of mad glee, and his fear suddenly doubled. He straightened up, meeting her gaze, refusing to back down despite the fear she caused him. She stood just inches in front of him, an eager grin on her face. Her hand raised and she pressed it gently against his chest. He could feel the icy cold of her hands through his shirt.

"Arteithiol gwewyr!" She chanted, her eyes blazing crimson.

Red light fromed at her hand, before fading into Merlin. The pain hit immediatly. It started in his chest, a dull pounding, and then it grew in strength until it was as if someone was taking a hammer to his chest. His breath became faster and he gasped, trying to collect enough air. His lungs felt as if they were closing in on themselves, refusing to hold air.

Then the pain spread. His shoulders and arms suddenly felt as if they were on fire. The burning sensation was worse then any he had ever felt before and he straightened up, trying to release the strain on his arms. But then it felt as if his knees had been kicked as they gave out from under him. His arms caught him, his weight pulling hard and the shackles cutting into his wrists causing blood to flow down his arm. The shackles seemed to tighten around his wrists until they pushed against bone, threatning to break his wrists in half.

A sudden pain in his stomach caused him to let out an involuntary cry. He had been poisioned before, but that pain was nothing compared to this. It was as if a knife was at his stomach, carving slowly, carefully. Then another and another was added until it felt as if a whole army was carving into him. He couldn't hold back the shout of pain as the knives moved to his back, carving into him, creating unbearable pain.

That one shout broke his barriers and was soon followed by more as the pain intensified. The cutting sensation dissappeared, only to be replaced by that of fire. His whole body felt as if it was on fire, burning from the inside out. His eyes clenched shut tightly, tears of agony threatning to spill, and his hands balled into fists, his nails digging into his flesh until drops of blood appeared. Cuts, small but endlessly painful, began to appear along his body. Blood ran, staining his clothes. He struggled to escape. His body was shaking violently, his knees refusing to hold his weight.

And through it all, the icy cold hand of Deidre remained on his chest. Finally the pain became to much and, with one last scream, Merlin fell into blessed darkness.

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**Spell Translation**

_Arteithiol gwewyr- Excruciating pain_


	3. Chapter 3

**Dislclaimer: Only Diedre and Endrich are mine.**

* * *

_Chapter 3_

Arthur could only watch in horror as Merlin shook and screamed in some invisible. He struggled vainly against his captors, but only sucedded in the two men tightening their grip and bruising his arms.

"Merlin!" he shouted, trying to break free.

Five minutes passed before the screams finally ceased and Merlin fell limp, held up by only by the chains around his arms. Diedre let her hand fall and stepped back, studying her work with a satisfied smile. She turned to Arthur and the smile fell, replaced with a cold gaze.

"I warned you, Arthur Pendragon." She said, walking toward him. "For every question you refuse to answer, the worse your friend will recieve. Think of this for when we return." She looked at the three guards and nodded.

Arthur didn't fight back as the two holding him dragged him forward, raising his arms and shackling him behind Merlin once more. Endrich locked the shackles, tightening them until Arthur thought his circulation was being cut off.

"You're lucky." he hissed quietly, locking the shackles. "If I had my way, you both would be hurting."

Arthur didn't reply, just simply glared at the brute. Endrich frowned, clearly wanting a reason to hurt the prince. Endrich turned and looked over at Diedre who simply shrugged and walked out of the room. The frown changed into a smirk as Endrich turned back to Arthur and brought the back of his hand brutally across Arthur's face. Arthur's head jerked to the side, blood filling his mouth as his lip split and he bit his tongue.

Anger burning in him, Arthur slowly looked over at Endrich, who just smirked and rubbed his hands together. Arthur reacted without thinking and spit the mouthfull of blood out, splattering Endrich and staining his clothes and skin. Fury flashed in Endrich's eyes as he brought his hand back up, his fist smashing into Arthur's face.

The force of the blow left Arthur's head spinning, and he realized that Endrich had been holding back the first few hits, but not that time. As the spinning began to settle, he saw the retreating forms of the three guards. The door shut and they were plunged into darkness once again.

Arthur could feel Merlin's limp body behind him, completly still except for shallow breathing. Arthur sighed and bowed his head, unable to keep the guilt back. It was because of him that Merlin had been tortured. If he had just answered the question.

_Then all of Camelot would soon be dead._ A voice in the back of his mind reminded and Arthur sighed, knowing it was true. If he had told them Camelot's weaknesses, then they would attack and all his people slaughtered.

A movement behind him snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked hesitantly.

A low groan was the only reply. Merlin shuffled, struggling to put weight onto his legs. It took several tries, but finally he was able to stand, taking some of the weight off his arms. His legs were shakey and pain still racked his body, though no-where near the level it had earlier.

"You ok?" Arthur asked, trying to mask the concern in his voice.

Merlin just grunted, uncertain that he'd be able to keep his breakfast down should he talk. The two lapsed into silence, and slowly the pain began to fade to a dull ache. The nausua passed as well, much to his relief.

"How long was I out?" Merlin asked, voice hoarse.

"A few minutes." Arthur answered.

"You didn't tell them anything, did you?" Merlin asked.

"No." Arthur replied, shoulders drooping slightly.

"Good." Merlin said simply. "Don't tell them anything."

Arthur was shocked. After the torture he had just gone through, Merlin still told him not to tell their captors anything, even though it would mean certain torture.

"What about you?" Arthur asked.

"What about me?" Confusion was in his voice.

"You'll be tortured again." Arthur clarified.

"Better me then Camelot." Merlin said simply.

Arthur didn't know how to reply to that. He was struck by the loyalty his servant was showing Camelot. He knew Merlin was loyal to a fault, but this went beyond normal loyalty. Merlin knew as well as he did that refusing to answer would result in more torture, and worse.

"Promise me, Arthur." Merlin said, a finalty in his voice. "Promise me that no matter what you won't tell them anything."

"Merlin..." Arthur took a deep breath, pushing his personal feelings back. Merlin was his friend, yes, but Camelot was his people. "I promise."

Merlin didn't reply, but he relaxed slightly. Even if it meant more torture, he would gladly take it if it meant Camelot remained safe. His friends were there, and if being tortured saved them, then so be it.

The two lapsed into silence once more, neither sure what to say. The darkness closed in, the only light once more coming from underneath the door, and even that was dull, as if the light was far away. Merlin's head pounded, his knees remaiend shakey, and his arms felt as if they had been wrenched out of socket. But he didn't make a sound, not wanting Arthur to know how much he actually hurt.

Arthur racked his brain, trying to find some way of escape. He moved his hands around, trying to slip his wrists from the shackles, but all he managed to do was cut into his wrists. Merlin heard what Arthur was doing, but knew it was useless. The only way to escape would be to use magic.

And that was the problem. Merlin knew if he used his powers they could be free in an instant, but he couldn't risk it, not yet. If he used his magic now, Arthur would know the truth. He would know his secret. No, he would wait until he had no choice in the matter.

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

Neither were sure how long had passed, it could have been minutes, hours, or days. In that dark cell, hanging from a wall, seconds passed like minutes and minutes passed like hours. The dreary boredom had almost driven both crazy when the door opened once more and light flooded the room once more. Diedre, flanked by her three guards, waltzed in, what looked like rope wrapped around Endrich's shoulder.

The three stopped and leaned against the wall, eager expressions on their faces. Diedre walked around Merlin and Arthur, eyeing them both coldly. Her black eyes revealed nothing, no sign what-so-ever of the plans she held, the agenda she had.

"So, little prince," she said softly, stopping in front of Arthur. "Are you going to tell us what we wish to know? Or will your friend have to suffer once more?"

Arthur kept silent. He raised his head up and glared at Diedre, biting back a retort. Making her angery would do them no good.

"Not going to speak?" Diedre commented, a smirk crossing her lips. "Tell me, little prince, what are Camelot's weaknesses?"

"There are none." Arthur replied coldly.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Diedre grinned, a small, bloodthirsty grin. She glanced back at the guards. "Release him."

Arthur straightened up, waiting for the guards to grab him. To his surprise, they didn't. From behind him, Merlin groaned and moved, falling to his knees as his hands were released. The two guards immediatly picked Merlin up, dragging him to his feet. Stumbling on weak legs, Merlin was led around behind Arthur and Diedre.

Endrich led the way, a torch lighting the side of the room that they had yet to see. Arthur couldn't help but gasp at what he saw. The room spread back another fifteen feet and every inch was covered in different tools. A rack stood in the far corner, no dust to be found on it. A table stretched against the far wall, holding every sharp object imaginable. Toward the back stood devices Arthur had never seen before and hoped never to see again. In the center of all this stood two wooden posts. The two guards holding Merlin's arms led him to these posts, tying him securly and tightly facing Arthur.

"I really should thank you, little prince." Diedre commented. "It has been far to long since I last was able to have any personal pleasure. I am going to enjoy this."

She turned and nodded to Endrich, who smiled savagely and unwrapped the rope from around his shoulders. Arthur's heart began to beat faster and Merlin's eyes widened as they recognized the rope as a whip. Endrich unrolled the whip, cracking it a few times with a simple flick of his wrist. The other two guards backed away quickly, both eyeing the whip nervously.

Endrich walked slowly, circling Merlin who crained his neck to keep the man in sight. After a few circles, Endrich stood behind Merlin and brought the whip back. A sharp [i]_crack_[/i] filled the air as the whip fell across Merlin's back. Merlin bit his lip hard to keep back the cry of pain as blood began to well up from his back. Arthur could only watch as the whip fell once, twice, three, four, five more times across Merlin's back. With each stroke of the lash, Merlin's face twisted in agony.

His eyes were clenched tightly shut, his lip bleeding from how hard he was biting it. The whip fell once more, criss-crossing Merlin's back. A small grunt escaped, but Merlin bit his lip hard to keep it from turning into a cry. The whip fell again, tearing his shirt and scarring his back. Blood drained from the cuts, staining his back and shirt. The whip fell once more and Merlin couldn't hold back the cry any longer. He shouted out, the pain overriding him.

Arthur was struck silent as he watched his servent, his friend, screaming in pain. The lash fell again and again until both men lost track of how many times it fell. With each lash, Merlin cried out, twisting away and arching his back in agony. Arthur closed his eyes, unable to watch any longer. The sound of the whip cracking through the air, smashing into Merlin's back and tearing flesh, and the screams of pure agony rang loud and clear in his ears.

Beside Arthur, Diedre watched the whipping, her black eyes lit up. She licked her lips, delighting in the spectacle before her. It had been so long-so very, very long-since she had last seen a proper beating. She had missed it. The blood, the screams, she craved it. Craved it more then she craved the answers to her questions. Secretly she hoped the young Pendragon would never answer her, just so she could enjoy this.

After one last lash, Endrich lowered his arm and slowly began to roll the bloodly whip back up and tossed it over his shoulder. Diedre glared at him angerly, not wanting the show to be over. He just shrugged indifferently.

"Any more and he would pass out." He announced.

It looked as if Merlin already had passed out. He was on his knees, his arms stretched above him, head bowed low. His chest was heaving as he panted for breath, his eyes still closed shut with tears slipping free. His back was a pattern of welts, all still bleeding. His shirt was in rags, pieces of fabric already beginning to stick in the wounds.

"Very well." Diedre said, dissapointment clear in her voice. She turned to Arthur. "Are you ready to answer my question, little prince?"

"What are you?" Arthur asked, voice low as he looked at his wounded friend. He looked over at Diedre, wondering how she could enjoy watching others in pain.

"I am a creature of magic, Arthur Pendragon." Diedre sneered. "A creature you're father and you have pursued and persecuted for over twenty years." She paused and studied Arthur's face. "You're appaled at my enjoyment of your friend's torture. You have seen nothing yet, little prince, of that I can assure you. Untie him."

The two guards reacted instantly and within seconds Merlin was lying on the floor, to weak and pained to do anything but lie there. Arthur gasped as he saw Merlin's back for the first time. He could see no clear skin; it was all covered in blood and welts. Merlin groaned and pushed himself up, but his arms gave out and he fell back to the floor.

"It is your choice, little prince." Diedre said. "Tell me what I wish to know, or we will have to continue."

Arthur looked down and saw Merlin staring up at him. Their eyes met and Merlin shook his head slightly. His eyes were full of pain, but in them Arthur could see the earnest pleading: _Don't tell them anything!_

"If you want to know Camelot's weaknesses," Arthur began, looking back to the demon beside him. "Then you will have to find out yourself."

Diedre smiled, a cruel, savage smile, and her black eyes seemed to light up in eagerness. She licked her lips one more time and turned back to face Merlin.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Disclaimer: Merlin isn't mine, just Diedre and Endrich._**

* * *

_Chapter 4_

Diedre walked up to Merlin and kneeled down. Merlin pushed himself up, forcing his wobbly arms to hold his weight. He met her eyes, hoping his fear wasn't in his eyes. The pain in his back was unimaginable and it was all he could do to keep tears of pain from slipping out once more. An eager grin spread across her face as she reached out and cupped Merlin's chin in her hand. Her eyes closed and when she reopened them they were glowing red and unrecognizable words fell from her lips.

"Cyrchu annioddefol gwewyr ar warthaf y bachgen. Dirboenus poendod ar wartaf efe!"

The pain was instant. The lashes on his back began to burn, as if salt had been poured on them. The bleeding resumed, flowing into a puddle all around him. His legs and arms began to tingle, then to ache, then to full out hurt. It was as if someone was placing pressure on them. An earsplitting _crunch_ filled the room and Merlin screamed, grabbing at his arm.

The bone had broken, and every touch brought more pain. He cradled the broken limb to his chest, biting his lip as tears of pain fell from his eyes. Soon the pain in his arm was replaced by another pain. He closed his eyes, fighting back shouts of agony.

The pain was beyond any he had ever felt before. He couldn't pinpoint one single pain. His whole body was burning, hurting. He was aware of nothing but the agonizing pain. He jerked and twisted, trying to escape the torture. Screams tore from his throat as the pain spread, completly consuming him in unbearable pain.

As the pain increased and he shook and screamed, Merlin became aware of another sensation. This one was not painful, but pleasent and healing. With a start, Merlin realized his magic was reacting without his calling on it. The warm glow was spreading, quenching the pain and overcoming the spell.

Merlin was tempted to let his magic continue, to let it stop the torment. The pain began to fade and Merlin opened his eyes. Diedre was looking down at him, shock evident on her face. He craned his neck ever so slightly as saw Arthur staring at him with a range of emotions on his face: fear, anger, hate, worry, and confusion. Merlin looked back at Diedre and his breath caught in his throat as he saw her looking down at him with something akin to understanding on her face.

"So, there is something you have been hiding." she said slowly, quietly so Arthur could not hear. "Only a powerful sorcerer could cancel out a sceadugengan's spell."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Merlin replied, breathing heavy despite the fact that the pain had faded to a dull ache.

"I am sure you don't." The creature said, licking her lips once more. "Tie him to the rack."

The two guards jumped forward, picking Merlin up roughly by his arms. A cry of pain escaped as his broken arm was yanked. He was dragged, tears staining his eyes, over to the rack. It was not a complicated machine, consisting of just a large wooden board and and a rope-and-pulley system. Merlin was forced onto the rack, the two guards roughly pulling his arms above his head. A scream escaped his lips as his broken arm was tied above him.

Diedre turned back to Arthur, sadistic grin on her face.

"This is your last chance, little prince." She warned. "Are you going to tell me what I wish to know?"

Arthur started to tell her no, but hesitated. He looked over at Merlin and saw the pain written on his face. Even from the distance, Arthur could tell he had one arm broken, and the wooden table would not do his back any good. His duty was to Camelot, but was duty more important then a friend's life?

"Don't...even think about it...prat." Merlin's voice was forced, and the grin he gave didn't come anywhere near his usual smiles.

Arthur looked at him sadly before turning his head back to Diedre.

"You heard him." he replied.

Diedre just grinned at him, having expected that answer. She turned back to Merlin and nodded at Endrich, who grabbed onto a rope and began to pull slowly. Merlin's limbs were stretched, earning another scream as his broken arm was stretched. The ropes pulled, yanking on his arms and legs and pulling them apart.

"Gwewyr dwysÃ¡u." Diedre chanted, her black eyes fading red once more.

Though Endrich was barely pulling, the pain for Merlin felt as if his arms had already been ripped off. He screamed as another pull straightened his broken arm, sending spasms of pain racing through his body. His eyes closed and he bit his lip to keep from crying out, but grunts and gasps of pain still escaped.

The pain was worse then ever before. His eyes flashed open for just a second and he saw Diedre's eyes glowing red, though he heard no words spoken. He felt as if he were on fire, the pain was beyond imagining. His arms and legs felt as if they were going to be torn off as Endrich gave another pull on the rope.

"Gwewyr dwysÃ¡u!" Diedre shouted, excitement overtaking her. "Gwewyr dwysÃ¡u!"

The pain racked his body until he could no longer keep silent. His screams of agony echoed in the small room. He could feel his magic surging in him, trying to react, to stop the torture, but he forced it down. He couldn't risk it. Arthur wasn't in danger. He wasn't ready. His secret had to remain a secret.

"Stop!" Arthur shouted, eyes wide with horror as he watched his friend being ripped apart before his eyes. "Stop! I'll tell you what you want to know!"

"It is to late for that, Arthur Pendragon." Diedre snarled, turning and smiling like a blood-thirsty beast. "You have doomed your friend. You will talk, but your friend will not be here to hear you. He is mine, and it has been so long."

She turned back to Merlin, words of an ancient language sliding from her tongue. Arthur could only watch, heart heavy with misery and guilt, as his friend screamed in agony. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, willing for it to all end.

Merlin could feel his magic bubbling inside him. He pushed it back, but the pain soon became to much and he could do nothing but lie there and scream, twisting and turning in an attempt to free himself and end the pain. He was aware of nothing but the pain, the unending pain as his arms and legs were pulled violently and his wounds were lit on fire.

His magic finally reacted against him. With an ear-shattering scream, a blinding white light broke the darkness.

* * *

***I know the rack wasn't invented until the 1400s, but for sake of the story I had to ignore that little fact. Just imagine a Braveheart rack and not a very complicated one. **

***Information on a ****Sceadugengan**** can be found here: www. /page/Sceadugenga I have taken many liberties with this creature (mostly because I didn't look up a name for it till after I got to this chapter) so I'm basically just borrowing the name and the pure black eyes.**

**Spell Translations**

_Cyrchu annioddefol gwewyr ar warthaf y bachgen. Dirboenus poendod ar wartaf efe-Bring unbearable pain upon the boy. Agonizing torment upon him._

_Gwewyr dwysÃ¡u-Pain intensify._


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry the ending isn't to good. I've never been no good at endings, and this one gave me more trouble then usual. I hope you enjoyed the story. :) **_

_**Disclaimer: Merlin isn't mine, but Diedre and Endrich are. **_

* * *

_Chapter 5_

The light was bright, blinding each and everyone in the room. Arthur shut his eyes, the light still penetrating his eyelids. The light seemed to grow in intesinty until finally it faded away, not slowly, but quickly, as if it had never been there to begin with.

When Arthur opened his eyes, he was shocked at what he saw. Diedre and her guards lay on the ground, completly still. The two guard's necks were at odd angles, and Arthur could tell with one glance that they were dead. Diedre lay at his feet, her eyes wide and, for the first time, Arthur could see fear in the blackness of her eyes. She lay completly still, just staring, and after a few moments Arthur knew that she was dead. He saw Endrich next and, with a sigh of relief, saw that the man was on the floor, the whip wound tightly around his neck.

Arthur looked to the rack next and felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw Merlin crumbled on the floor. The ropes had broken loose and Merlin had fallen, only to land on the ground surrounded by the dead bodies. Arthur moved to go toward his friend and, with a start, realized he was no longer chained. His hands dropped and as he moved, the chains fell to the ground at his feet. Arthur could only stare in shock and confusion, only to conclude that the light must have had something to do with it.

He moved quickly, stepping over the lifeless bodies. He crouched down beside Merlin, hesitantly placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. Merlin was so still and Arthur feared he was dead, but to his relief Merlin still breathed. His breath came slowly, shallowly, but he was breathing and that was all Arthur cared about.

"I'm sorry, Merlin." he muttered as he picked his friend up.

Merlin mummbled in his sleep and flinched slightly, but was to far gone to truly feel the pain and for that Arthur was relieved. Not sure where he was going, Arthur went over to the door and made his way out into a rundown corridor. It was an old castle of some sorts, or, at the very least, an old watchtower. Turning left, Arthur moved quickly and, to his luck, came out of the tower in just a few minutes.

The sunlight burned his eyes and the prince was forced to stop and let his eyes slowly grow accustomed to the bright light. Off toward the woods came the whinny of a horse and Arthur turned in that direction, hoping and praying that it was simply their kidnapper's horses. Someone must have been looking out for him because six horses were picketted to a log. Arthur placed Merlin on the ground gently and freed five of the horses. Laying Merlin across the remaining horse, he mounted behind and spurred off in the direction he knew Camelot lay.

He could hear Merlin's breath becoming raspy and shallower and knew his friend didn't have much longer. The bleeding had all but stopped, but his back looked horrible, and Arthur hated to leave the broken arm without treatment, but he knew that if he didn't get to Camelot quick, Merlin would be beyond all help. With that thought, he spurred the horse faster.

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

Merlin groaned as his eyes blinked open, only to close once more as the bright light hurt his already pounding head. A cup of something was pushed to his lips and Merlin swallowed the foul tasting liquid before he realized what it was.

"There you go." Gaius's voice soothed as Merlin coughed. "Slowly, my boy, slowly."

"G..Gaius?" Merlin stammered, voice hoarse and croaky.

Gaius didn't answer but handed him a cup of water and helped him to drink it slowly. Once the cup had been removed, Merlin opened his eyes and looked around. He recognized the room immediatly as his and wondered why he was being allowed to sleep in so late; the sun was high in the sky if the light coming through the window was anything to go by.

"What..." he started to ask, but then it all came flooding back to him. The kidnapping, the torture, the bright white light. Merlin's heart nearly stopped as his eyes widened in fear. "Arthur! Is he..."

"The prince is fine, Merlin." Gaius said with a relieved chuckle. "Much better then you, I might add." The old physician stood and patted his ward gently on the shoulder. "Now sleep. You are still recovering and need all the rest you can get."

Merlin started to argue, but his eyes seemed to have a different plan as they closed. He was asleep before Gaius had even left the room.

When he next awoke, it was not Gaius at his side, but Arthur. The prince didn't realize Merlin was awake as he appeared to be dozing. Merlin began to cough and couldn't hold back a laugh as Arthur snapped up, wide awake as his eyes fell on Merlin.

"Nice to see you back in the land of the living." He commented. "You sure know how to get out of chores. You've been out a whole week!"

"A week?" Merlin repeated, voice raspy.

"Yes, you idiot, a week." Arthur laughed and handed Merlin a glass of water.

Merlin eagerly drank the water and handed the cup back. He moved to sit up, only to hiss as pain shot up his back. Arthur was quick to push him back down gently. Merlin just lay there, pain racking his body once more and his vision blurred. After what felt like hours but was really seconds the pain faded away to a dull ache and he looked back up at Arthur, though he made no move to sit up.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Well," Arthur replied slowly. "We went searching for Morgana and you decided to fall in a hole while being chased by bandits and..."

"I meant after that." Merlin inturrupted. "How did we get back here?"

"When they were torturing you the last time," Arthur answered, a dark shadow falling on his face. "That creature-Diedre or whatever she was-kept yelling spells. I suppose one backfired as a white light flooded the room and when it faded they were all dead, I was free, and you were lying unconscious on the floor."

Merlin's eyes widened when he heard about the white light. He knew Diedre hadn't cast that light; her magic had been dark. That meant that it had to have been him. His magic had reacted without his control and killed all in the room, sparing just him and Arthur. He breathed a sigh of relief, though, that Arthur thought it was her and hadn't realized the truth.

_Stop! I'll tell you what you want to know!_ Merlin remembered the words, though he had been barely conscious and in unbelievable pain.

"You told her to stop." he said quietly. "You were going to tell them what they wanted to know."

Arthur looked away and didn't reply. A smile broke across Merlin's face as a hint of red appeared in Arthur's cheeks.

"Thank you, Arthur." He said sincerely.

Arthur just gave him a small smile and nod in return, not quite sure what to say. Merlin couldn't hold back a yawn and Arthur laughed and stood.

"I better leave before Gaius has my head for making you worse." he announced. "I expect you back to work in a week, Merlin."

"Of course, sire." Merlin laughed, knowing full well that Arthur wasn't expecting him back that soon.

Merlin watched Arthur leave and sighed as the door closed. His left arm was bandaged and wrapped tight, the bone having been set while he slept. His back was just a dull ache, but he knew that the criss-crossed welts would forever be there, a reminder of what he and Arthur had endured. He yawned again and he relaxed into the pillow, glad to be out of the fire once more.


End file.
